We are the Bulgarian half of PenBro (PenevBrown)! Our presence on the site and in the hotel business is closely connected to June's and Derek's coming to live in Banya. June and Derek are our media stars! However, it is not only the hotel which made our friendship and we would like to tell you few words about our joint story.

We both are zoologists working at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in Sofia. Derek visited us in 1987, and since then he and Vlada started scientific collaboration in the field of nematology - a science dealing with parasitic worms on plants. Later, Vlada spent a year in Scotland working with Derek in the Scottish Crop Research Institute in Dundee. During one of the visits of Derek to Bulgaria in 1991, Lyubo took him to several beautiful places all around the country, but the final stop was, of course, in Bansko - our favourite area since student's time.

Our contacts with June and Derek have been blessed by a real and sincere friendship! Derek published with Pensoft, a publishing house founded by Lyubo, remarkable student textbooks on nematodes which reached the global market audience. The scientific collaboration with Vlada continues nowadays and Derek participates in several research projects in the Central Laboratory for General Ecology in Sofia, where we both have academic positions. Derek was appointed honorary professor at the same Laboratory.
 

First lessons in Bulgarian folk music - Derek, Lyubo and Ivan (our neighbour in Banya)

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We had the chance to spend many joyous hours and days together in Scotland and in Bulgaria. All the time we were fascinated by the great love Derek and June treated our country! We can't remember a case when Derek or June complained about the Bulgarian style of life, maybe with exception of the sometimes too hectic program of parties they were invited to participate! Although occasions for some disappointment surely existed, our Scottish friends never tried to blame the local people or to adapt the local community to their own requirements! On the contrary, they were extremely strenuous in adapting themselves to the village habits, to the Bulgarian language and even to the local Razlog dialect! We guess this process was not always easy, probably except for the easiest adaptation - that one to the local cuisine and wines! The return is more than obvious - June and Derek are considered as integrated and a beloved part of the local village community! They are invited almost everyday to visit neighbours, to family meetings,weddings, and in return their door is always open to their Bulgarian, Bulgarian Moslem and Roma friends!

Well, the few photos attached will give you a brief insight on the way we, the "PenBro's" experience here!
 

There is only one thing to say - COME AND JOIN US!